*
SECRET
case. If the Cooperative Resources Centre raise the point again, the Prime Minister might say that the Governor has made clear that the key issue is for the members of the Election Committee to be elected. The Governor is willing to consider any proposed composition for the Committee which ensures this, although at the moment his own proposal is the simplest one on
the table.
We may be on the point of re-engaging the Chinese in
diplomatic discussions. This remains confidential and should not be revealed to the Cooperative Resources Centre delegation (although if discussions do go ahead, we plan to announce the fact publicly).
The Cooperative Resources Centre's call on the Prime Minister is likely to dominate the news in Hong Kong in a quiet week there (Chinese New Year). The Governor hopes that the Prime Minister will give a firm restatement of support for his proposals. The Governor suggests that the public handling of the delegation's call on the Prime Minister should be
low-key. His advice is that the Prime Minister should not agree to a photocall with Allen Lee or accompany him to the door at the end of the call. The Foreign Secretary proposes to speak to the press after the meeting, as a precaution in case Allen Lee should make public a distorted version of the discussion (as he has done in the past).
The Prime Minister might wish to draw on the following points (which have been agreed with the Governor):
SECRET
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.